Ventilating system and apparatus



Dec. 12, 1933. R, WORTHAM VENTILATING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed NOV. 3, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invcnlor [Zzdzardll Worfimm,

Patented Dec. 12, 1933 1,938,884 7 VENTILATING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Richard Lee Wortham, Wilmington, N. C.

Application November 3, 1932. Serial No. 641,105

1 Claim.

My invention relates generally to ventilating systems and apparatus employed therein, and particularly to a ventilating system and apparatus especially adapted to ventilation of rooms, telephone booths, and similar relatively small confined spaces, which system and apparatus is adapted to be operated by fluid under pressure 'to be initially compressed. f

It is an important object of my invention to provide a simplified ventilating system and apparatus of the type described, which will be extraordinarily simple and inexpensive to construct and install, and of which the operating costs are negligible.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide a fluid operated ventilating apparatus for the purposes described, as well as other purposes to which it may be adapted, wherein the motivating fluid is initially compressed by the occupant of the room, booth or other enclosure to be ventilated, although the motivating fluid may be compressed by mechanical or other means and used as compressed or stored in pressure containers.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawings, whereinfor purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view through a room or the like enclosure disclosing the arrangement therein of one embodiment of the apparatus of the invention and showing the nature of the system employed by me.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of theventilator, showing portions of the casing thereof broken away and disclosing the interior mechanism.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through Figure 2 showing another 'view of the interior mechanism. I I

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View through a portion of the bellows.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the bellows.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the same, the numeral 5 refers generally to a ceiling or roof of a room or enclosure, the numeral 6 to the vertical wall of the enclosure and the numeral 7 to a suitable supporting medium, such as a bench, settee, or a floor surface. As shown in Figure 1 one arrangementof the system and apparatus of the invention calls for the installation in an opening 8 in the ceiling 5 of a ventilator generally designated 9, and in an opening 10 in the floor 7 of a bellows generally designated 11. For communicating the ventilator 9 and the bellows 11 there is provided a suitable conduit 12 which for convenience and appearances may be located outside of the wall 6 and below the floor 7 and above the ceiling 5. The ventilator 9 being in the form of a fan driven by air, has air fed thereto through the conduit 12 which has been motivated by means of the bellows 11 which has been compressed by the occupant of the room, booth or other enclosure. The bellows 11 may be operated to drive the ventilator 9 by some weight or pressure exerted upon the exterior thereof. The bellows may be located in the floor of the booth, or in a settee or bench therein, so that it will be compressed and the ventilator operated for ventilating the roof, booth or the like when the operator is standing or is seated within the room, booth or the like. It will be understood that the bellows 11 may be replaced by any suitable air compressing means, or by a reservoir, according to the requirements and the structure to which the system and apparatus is to be adapted and upon which it is to be installed.

The ventilator 9, shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3 may comprise an annular tubular casing 13 constructed of a pair of annular sections 14, 15, flanged at one side as indicated at 16, 17 and riveted or bolted together as indicated at 18, so as to provide a substantially tubular form having the radially inwardly disposed opening 19. The sides of the opening may be made substantially parallel or given any similar angularity. Suitably connected to the sides of the casing are arms 20 which may be provided in any number found suitable, radiating from a bearing 21. Similar arms I 22 are located on the opposite side of the casing and radiate frorna centralized bearing 23. As 5 seen in Figures 1 and 3, an annular flange 24 is disposed on one side of the casing and constitutes means for mounting the ventilator upon a surface; The ventilator, as seen in Figure 1, may be disposed in an opening such as that illustrated at 8, with the flange 24 secured by suitable means to the portions of the supporting surface surrounding the opening.

A shaft 25 is journaled in the bearing members 21,23 and on the shaft is mounted a rotor which 6 comprises a plurality of fan blades 26 radiating from a suitable hub 2'7. The pitch and direction of these blades are to be determined by the position of the ventilatorand its use as an exhaust or blower fan. Mounted on the'radially outward iio ends of the blades 26 is a ring 28 of a material and of a cross-section to provide some fly-wheel effect. Mounted on the periphery of the ring 28 is a circumferentially spaced plurality of vanes or buckets 29. These buckets 29 are of the form generally of half of a hollow cone so as to form a deep, angularly disposed pocket to catch and be strongly repelled by blasts of air.

The ring 28 is of such size that its side edges run very closely to the sides of the opening 19 in the casing 13 so as to pass as little air as possible, whereby to increase the power eifect of blasts of air into the casing against the buckets 29.

At circumferentially spaced points radiallyoutward portions of the casing 13 are punched out or otherwise formed with openings as indicated at 30 and 31 to receive approximately fiush with the interior surface of that portion of the'casing, tapered nozzles 32, 33 which are disposed at an angle to a diameter of the rotor, in positions to direct blasts of air against and into the buckets 29 whereby to drive the rotor. The nozzles 32, 33 branch froman 'air supply pipe 12 which receive a supply of air under pressure from the bellows 11 or some other suitable source. Arcuate openings 34, 35 are placed in the walls of the casing 13 to exhaust the air therefrom at points sub stantially diametrically opposite the points at which the nozzles 32, 33 enter the. casing. It is to be observed that the casing 13 might be provided with a base similar to an ordinary electric fan base to enable placing the ventilator on a stand or suspending the same in the manner of an ordinary electric fan. It will also be obvious that the ventilator might be placed in the vertical wall 6 instead of in the ceiling wall 5 or in any other suitable position for blowing air into the enclosure or exhausting it therefrom.

The bellows 11 comprises upper and lower plates 36, 37 connected by collapsible vertical walls 38 which may be of any suit-able collapsible material in bellows form. Vertical helical springs 39, 40 are disposed at longitudinally spaced points within the bellows for giving the plates a normally spaced relationship and expand the bellows. A suitable inlet v41 may be provided for supplying the bellows with'air when the springs 39, 40 expand the bellows after compression of the bellows and draw a supply of air thereinto.

In an arrangement such as that shown in Figure 1, supposing that the surface 7 constitutes the surface of a seat, upon the occupant of the seat seating himself thereon, the bellows 11 would be compressed so as to compress the air therein and force the same through the conduit 12 so as to motivate the ventilator 9 and ventilate the interior of the compartment occupied. This is a practical arrangement for use in a telephone booth, refreshment booth, and the like enclosure; whether of private or public nature, since a bellows 11 may be provided to be actuated in the manner described which will supply a sufficient amount of air and pressure to operate the ventilator during the ordinary period of occupancy of the booth. The cost of manufacture and installation is low, the up-keep and operation costs negligible, so that a great convenience might be provided for these ordinarily very poorly ventilated enclosures, which will not greatly add to the cost of furnishing and maintaining such enclosures, while greatly adding to the convenience and comfort incident to their use by private and public persons.

Though I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in material and structure and arrangement of parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claim.

What is claimed is:

In combination with a room including a ceiling having an opening therein and a horizontal lower wall having an opening therein, a fan located in the opening in the ceiling and provided with an air motor, a bellows having its base part located below the lower horizontal wall, with the bellows extendingthrough the opening in said horizontal wall, with its upper end located above said wall, a conduit leading from the base part of the bellows to the air motor, and air inlet means provided with a check valve carried by the base part of the bellows. I

RICHARD LEE WORTHAM. 

